The present invention relates to the manufacture of tubular probe assemblies where it is desired to attach a thin walled metal tube having one exposed end thereof closed and the tube attached to a housing structure with one end open interiorly of the housing for insertion of desired electrical sensing articles into the tube. Tubular assemblies of this type are useful as sensing probes, and particularly, probes of the type employed for sensing temperature. The metal tube provides rapid heat conduction from the article or medium to be sensed; and, it is often desirable to mount the tubular probe to a non-metallic structure for housing associated electrical circuitry and connectors. Sensing probes of this type are often employed for sensing temperature where it is desired to provide a thermocouple in the closed end of the tube with the electrical leads of the thermocouple extending outwardly of the open end of the tube to the interior of the non-metallic housing structure upon which the tube is attached or carried.
Heretofore, various techniques of attaching the thin-walled tubular metal probe to a non-metallic housing have included such expedients as potting with epoxy resin and forming a non-circular shape to the open end portion of the tube and clamping the non-circular portion with appropriate correspondingly shaped surfaces formed in the housing structure. Both of these techniques have proven to be unwieldy and costly for probes utilized in high volume mass produced applications such as, for example, temperature sensing probes utilized in automotive air conditioning systems. Thus, it has long been desired to provide a way or means of attaching a metal tube having one end closed to a non-metallic housing structure in a low-cost and convenient manner conducive to high volume manufacturing of the tubular assembly.